BRISCOE, FOSTER & MCNUTT RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENROLL IN ABOVE
SECTION.
Would people like you and me electrocute a stranger? Can children
ever become "normal" after long periods of isolation? Why do we act
so strangely on elevators? Why do men tend to invade women's
personal space? When making decisions, are two heads really better
than one? Why is it illegal to chew gum in Singapore but not in New
York? Are some people "more equal" than others in the U.S.? What
do Americans think about "affirmative action"? Would people like you
and me join a cult or a social movement?
These are some of the questions we will attempt to tackle in this
course. My overarching goal is to help you develop a sociological
imagination, which is a framework for understanding the social
issues the above questions raise and so much more.
More specifically, after you complete this course, you should:
☺ Have a heightened sense of the social forces that act upon you and
that you act upon.
☺ Have a broad understanding of fundamental concepts, theories, and
methods in sociology.
☺ Be able to apply, synthesize, and evaluate these concepts,
theories, and methods.
☺ Be able to think critically and creatively about "real life"
social problems.
I expect that this course will not only stimulate your intellectual
curiosity, but it will also be fun! Yet, all of this comes at some
cost: required class attendance (at an early hour), diagnostic
checks, class participation/discussion, a fairly heavy reading load,
and challenging exams, If you believe that you are up to the
challenge, I encourage you to enroll.